NFL Player News

Hill (thigh) is ruled out for Sunday's season opener against the Browns, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Hill's next chance to take the field will come Week 2 against the Texans. With Chris Moore (finger) also ruled out for Sunday's tilt against the Browns, Devin Duvernay and James Proche look like the top candidates to handle kick return duties for the Ravens.

Patterson (knee) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions.

Patterson kicked off the week as a limited participant in practice, but he's now logged back-to-back sessions without restrictions. The 29-year-old kick returner and depth wideout is trending in the right direction for Week 1.

Montgomery (groin) was a full practice participant Friday but is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Detroit.

Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune notes that Montgomery likely would be listed as 'probable' if the NFL still used that designation. Montgomery closed out the week with back-to-back full practices after Wednesday's limited session, putting him on track for the starting role Sunday in Detroit. However, it's probably best to check back in once inactive lists come out Sunday morning, as it wasn't too long ago that Montgomery's Week 1 status was a major source of concern. The Bears' roster decisions provided one big hint, with Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall being the only other running backs on the team (though Cordarrelle Patterson can take backfield snaps in a pinch).

Coach Doug Pederson said Sanders (hamstring) is considered day-to-day heading into Friday's practice, Mike Kaye of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The second-year running back was labeled day-to-day earlier in the week and was a limited participant at practice Wednesday and Thursday, but Pederson added Friday that Sanders is doing "extremely well." A full practice from Sanders on Friday would address some of the concern regarding his availability for the season opener Sunday at Washington, but his workload and snap count remain a question mark after being limited throughout camp by the injury. The Eagles' official injury report later in the day should provide a better idea of the 23-year-old's outlook for Week 1.

Edwards-Helaire rushed 25 times for 138 yards and a touchdown and failed to bring in either of his two targets in the Chiefs' 34-20 win over the Texans on Thursday.

The rookie managed the improbable feat of being the standout performer of the night on a squad with luminaries such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, constantly tormenting the Texans' front seven in a spectacular NFL debut. Edwards-Helaire put an exclamation point on the performance with a 27-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, but the fact he averaged 4.6 yards per rush on his other 24 carries underscores how consistently he was able to gain solid chunks of yardage. Edwards-Helaire looked like the complete package the Chiefs envisioned when they drafted him at the end of the first round in April, and the workload coach Andy Reid was willing to afford him in his first NFL game action of any kind certainly had to have pleased fantasy managers immensely. The only blemish on the LSU product's banner effort was his blanking on the receiving end, a matter he'll try to rectify in a Week 2 road matchup against the Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 20.

The Buccaneers signed Barner (lower body) to the practice squad Thursday, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Barner served as Atlanta's primary return man in 2019, accounting for 267 yards while fielding punts and 406 yards on kickoffs. He fills the practice squad spot that would have been occupied by rookie seventh-round pick Raymond Calais, who was poached by the Rams.

Clement was limited in Thursday's practice due to a quadriceps injury.

Clement wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, a hint that he sustained his quadriceps injury during practice. With Miles Sanders (hamstring) also dealing with an injury, the Eagles could lean on Boston Scott to handle an increased workload in Washington on Sunday.

McFarland (concussion) is not listed on Thursday's injury report, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

McFarland dealt with a concussion in late August, but he's since managed to fully clear the league's five-step protocol for brain injuries. With a healthy James Conner primed for deployment as Pittsburgh's bell-cow back, McFarland looks set to begin his career in a depth role against the Giants on Monday.

Jacksonville offensive coordinator Jay Gruden confirmed that Robinson would serve as the team's starting running back in Sunday's season opener versus the Colts, John Oesher of the team's official site reports. "I feel good about him," Gruden said Wednesday. "I'm excited to watch him play. I know he's excited. He won't show it, though. I haven't seen him smile but twice the whole time since I've been here."

An undrafted rookie out of FCS Illinois State, Robinson saw his hopes of making Jacksonville's roster improve following the Aug. 31 release of Leonard Fournette. He then made further headway up the depth chart when Ryquell Armstead was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Sept. 4 and when Devine Ozigbo (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve. Since neither Armstead nor Ozigbo has much of a track record at the NFL level and because the only other two other backs on the roster (Chris Thompson and Dare Ogunbowale) are better suited for third-down roles, Robinson could cement himself as the Jaguars' top option on the ground if he shines out of the gate in his NFL debut. Ozigbo won't be eligible to return until Week 4, while head coach Doug Marrone recently said Armstead is without a clear timeline to resume playing.

The Texans promoted Phillips from their practice squad Thursday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The undrafted rookie out of Mississippi was among Houston's final roster cuts over the weekend, but it didn't take long for him to earn a callup from the practice squad. For the time being, he'll slot in as the fourth man on the depth chart at running back behind David Johnson, Duke Johnson and Buddy Howell. None of the three are listed on Houston's injury report ahead of Thursday's season opener at Kansas City, so Phillips could find himself among the Texans' seven inactive players for the contest.